This invention relates to shopping carts and children's strollers, and in particular to a stroller which may easily and quickly be converted from a stroller into either a shopping cart or a carrier for large items.
Convertible strollers have been developed in the past, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,904, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As explained in the '904 patent, strollers of the nature of the invention of the present application are generally of substantial construction and are typically provided by department stores, shopping malls and the like as a convenience for their customers during shopping.
The convertible stroller of the '904 patent, however, suffers one disadvantage. Since the seat is fixed in place, the size of the shopping cart, when the conversion to shopping is effected, is generally constrained by the size of the seat, although the shopping cart portion obviously extends well above and beyond the seat, as well. Also, because the seat is fixed in place, it is difficult for large, bulky items, such as boxes, to be transported with any ease. There is therefore the need for an improved version of the convertible stroller of the '904 patent, which is more versatile.